Yes. Zen emphasizes direct practice and experience over doctrinal belief, though traditions vary on this question.
Zen Buddhism has historically prioritized direct experience and practice over intellectual assent to doctrines. The foundational Zen approach involves meditation (zazen), koans, and engagement with a teacher—methods that work regardless of what someone believes about rebirth. Many Zen texts, particularly the early Chan (Chinese Zen) records, focus on sudden awakening and direct seeing into one's nature rather than accumulating correct beliefs. The Zen tradition explicitly warns against excessive conceptual thinking, suggesting that doctrinal commitment may even be an obstacle to genuine insight.
This pragmatic orientation means that someone could consistently practice Zen meditation, sit sesshin (intensive retreats), work with a teacher, and pursue enlightenment without personally believing in rebirth or other cosmological doctrines. The question "Is rebirth real?" might be viewed in Zen as missing the point—what matters is investigating your own mind here and now.
Buddhism as a whole does teach rebirth, karma, and the existence of multiple realms of existence. These appear in the earliest Buddhist texts and remain central to most Buddhist schools. However, Zen itself developed partly as a reaction against elaborate philosophical systems and doctrinal study. Zen teachers have often used shocking statements and seemingly contradictory responses to break students free from conceptual attachments.
That said, even in Zen, rebirth and karma are not dismissed as false. Rather, they are treated as secondary to the immediate work of practice. A Zen practitioner might intellectually accept rebirth as Buddhist teaching without making it the focus of their practice, or might suspend judgment on the question entirely. The difference is that Zen does not require doctrinal certainty as a prerequisite for sitting zazen or pursuing awakening.
Japanese Zen (particularly Soto and Rinzai schools) tends to be more lenient about doctrinal commitment than some other Buddhist traditions. Many Western Zen centers explicitly welcome practitioners of any background, including agnostics and atheists, with minimal doctrinal requirements for participation. Shunryu Suzuki and other influential modern teachers have emphasized that Zen practice itself is sufficient.
However, some traditional Zen contexts—particularly in East Asia and conservative lineages—may still expect practitioners eventually to accept Buddhist teachings as a whole, including rebirth. A formal Zen Buddhist ordination might involve more explicit doctrinal commitment than simply attending a meditation group. The answer depends somewhat on which Zen community you're asking about.
Many people come to Zen practice as skeptics and gradually develop different views through their experience. Meditation can reveal patterns in mind and behavior that suggest continuity beyond a single lifetime, or practitioners may simply find rebirth becomes less urgent as a question. Others practice Zen for decades without adopting these beliefs, focusing instead on reducing suffering and cultivating wisdom in this life.
Zen teachers generally do not pressure students to adopt beliefs. The approach is exploratory: sit, observe your mind, work with what arises, and your understanding will develop. This contrasts with traditions where doctrinal study and acceptance come before or alongside practice.
You can legitimately practice Zen without believing in rebirth or other Buddhist doctrines, especially in Western and contemporary Zen settings. Your practice will likely be genuine and may lead to real insights. However, you should understand that you are not practicing complete Buddhism as traditionally conceived, and that some traditional Zen contexts might eventually expect you to engage with these teachings more seriously. The best approach is to be honest with yourself and your teacher about your position, find a Zen community aligned with your needs, and let practice itself be your guide rather than beginning with doctrinal requirements you cannot authentically accept.